Adjustable conductor support



March 31, 1964 E. F- BRADSHAW ADJUSTABLE CONDUCTOR SUPPORT Filed Aug.10, 1960 I N VEN TOR. [OM20 flame/ca 64m United States Patent Ofilice3,127,468 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 3,127,468 ADJUSTABLE CONDUCTOR SUPPORTEdward Frederick Bradshaw, Markham, Ontario, Canada, assignor to llurndyCorporation, a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 10, 1960, Ser. No.48,616 6 Claims. (Oi. 174-40) This invention relates to a support for aplurality of conductors, and especially to a support which is adjustableas to the spacing of, and the tension on the conductors.

Electrical power transmission in the past has commonly involved threephase high voltage lines operated in the range of 110 kilovolts to 230kilovolts. In such installations it has been customary to utilizemulti-strand single conductors for each phase of the line. Whentransmitting electric power by such single conductors, however, there isa practical upper limit to the voltages that may be transmitted due tothe problems of skin and corona efifect.

Tests are currently being made on the practicability of utilizing 460kv. and transmitting the same by means of bundled conductors comprisinga plurality of spaced conductors for each phase line.

One of the problems in utilizing bundled conductors involves the correctspacing of each of the plurality of conductors in each phase line. Eachof the conductors must be separately positioned relative to the othercom ductors comprising the phase line, and the bundle of conductors hasto be positioned relative to the other phases. This positioning is oftenquite inconvenient because the original center axis of the bundle is notmaintained and the tension in each conductor must be adjustedindividually. Furthermore, this handling of the conductors isundesirable in that it reduces or eliminates the aging due to corona ofthe conductors surfaces.

An object of this invention is to provide a support for a bundledconductor which may be conveniently adjusted for conductor spacing abouta central axis without individually positioning the conductors.

Another object of this invention is to provide a support which may beconveniently adjusted for bundled conductor tension without individuallytensioning the conductors.

Yet another object is to provide a support which is adapted to the useof but a single insulator for a plurality of conductors in a bundledconductor.

Still another object is to provide a support which will have aninherently low corona loss.

A feature of this invention is a threaded shaft, on which is mounted forlongitudinal movement a collar, having pinned thereto a plurality oflegs, which are connected by linkages to a fixed point on the shaft, sothat movement of the collar will affect a pivoting of the free ends ofthe legs to or from the end of the shaft.

These and other objects and features of this invention will become moreapparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of the variable spacing yoke of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the variable spacing yoke;

FIG. 2A is a detail view of part of FIG. 2 illustrating an arrangementsuitable for remote control; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional end View taken along line 33 in FIG. 1.

In the drawings, reference character 1 indicates a threaded shaft. Arider nut 2 having a reduced and partially threaded neck 3 is mounted onthe shaft and adapted to be screwed along the shaft. A collar 4 having aplurality of arms, as at 5, 6, '7, and 3, is mounted for free rotationupon the neck. A nut 9 having a set screw 10 is screwed upon thethreaded portion of the neck 3 to retain the collar 4 on the neck. Theend of each arm has a hole therethrough, as at 11, 12, 13, and 14, towhich is mounted, e.g., by means of a clevis and pin, long arms 15, 16,17, and 18. At the other end of the shaft 1 is mounted a second collar19 having a plurality of arms, as at 21), 21, and 22. Each of the armshas a hole therethrough, as at 24, 25, and 26. Rotatably pinned to thearms of the second collar 19 and to a mediate point on the long arms area plurality of respective links as at 28 and 3d. On either side of thesecond collar 19 are mounted nuts 32 and 33 which, when screwed againstthe collar, serve to fixedly locate the collar with respect to theshaft 1. At the free ends of the long arms 15, 16, 17, and 18 are pinnedmeans, such as dead end connectors 3d, 35, and 36 to retain theconductors of the line bundle. Screwed to the end of shaft 1 adjacent tocollar 4 is an eye 38 which may be attached to a single insulator 39;which in turn may be mounted to a support, tower, etc. Obviously, theeye 38 might be directly connected to the tower, while the free ends oflong arms 15, 16, 1'7, and 18 might each be connected to an insulator;which insulator is connected to a conductor by means of a dead endconnector. A lock nut 49 may be provided to fixedly locate nut 2 withrespect to the shaft 1.

When collar 19 is fixedly located with respect to shaft 1, screwing nut2 and associated collar 4 up or down the shaft 1 will result in thepivoting of the free ends of arms 15, 1d, 17, and 18, and theirassociated dead end connectors and conductors, towards or away from thefree end of shaft 1 with a symmetrical movement. The conductors are atall times uniformly spaced from the central axis established by shaft 1.

When collars 19 and 4 are uniformly moved with respect to the shaft 1,the tension on the conductors will be varied while their spacing will beheld constant.

Any combination of conductor spacing and tension may thus be affected bysuitable movement of collars 19 and 4.

It should be noted that arms 15, 16, 1'7, and are at the same electricalpotential as shaft 1, and act as a corona ring for the entire assembly.This effectively removes the problem of corona discharge from any sharpprojections on the shaft or the associated assembly.

It should also be noted that this support conveniently lends itself toremotely controlled operation. As shown in FIG. 2A a small electricmotor A, which may be radio controlled, may be located within the coronaring formed by the arms 15, 16, 17, and 1S, and have a shaft B with aworm gear C which will mesh with rack teeth formed on nut 9 which may bemade circular in periphery. The motor may then be used to control theposition of collar 4 on the shaft 1. Collar 19 may be similarlycontrolled.

The invention has thus been described but it is desired to be understoodthat it is not confined to the particular forms or usages shown anddescribed. The same being merely illustrative, and that the inventionmay be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, and therefore, the right is broadly claimed to employ allequivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appendentclaim, and by means of which objects of this invention are attained andnew results accomplished, as it is obvious that the partciularembodiments here shown and described are only some of the many that canbe employed to obtain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

1. A support device adapted to be mounted to a fixed tower or the likefor supporting a plurality of electrical conductors having parallellongitudinal axes, comprising: a central shaft member; mounting means onsaid shaft 6.9 for engaging said tower to prevent axial movement of saidshaft relative thereto; a first support means and a second support meanseach disposed on said central shaft and adapted to be adjustably spacedaxially apart thereon; a plurality of support arms disposed in equallyspaced angular relationship about said central shaft, each pivotallyconnected at one end thereof to said first support means; means at theother end of each of said arms for pivotally coupling a conductorthereto; and a plurality of link members each pivotally attached at oneend thereof to said second support means and at the other end thereof toa corresponding one of said plurality of arms, whereby relativeadjustment of the spacing between said first and second support meansvaries the spacing between said electrical conductors at the ends ofsaid arms while maintaining the axes of said conductors parallel.

2. A support according to claim 1 wherein said arms are pivotallyconnected at one end thereof to said first support means and at amediate portion thereof to said link members, and said conductorcoupling means is disposed at the other end thereof.

3. A support according to claim 1 wherein said central shaft and saidfirst support means are threaded, said first support means being adaptedto be threaded on said shaft.

4. A support according to claim 1 wherein said central shaft and saidsecond support means are threaded, said second support means beingadapted to be threaded on said shaft.

5. A support means according to claim 4, further including a rotatorymotive power means, said motive means being operatively connected tosaid first support means, whereby said support means may be adjusted onsaid central shaft.

6. A variable spacing support for electrical conductors comprising: acentral shaft having threads thereon; a first collar coaxial with andthreaded on said shaft; a second collar carried by said first collar,and adapted to rotate axially about said first collar; a plurality offixed arms upstanding from said second collar; a plurality of legs,

.each having two ends, one leg pivoted at one of its ends to each ofsaid fixed arms, and being adapted at its other end for coupling to aconductor; a third collar mounted on said central shaft havingupstanding therefrom a plurality of fixed arms; and a plurality of linkseach link pivoted at one end to one of the fixed arms of said thirdcollar and pivoted at the other end to a mediate portion of one of saidlegs.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A SUPPORT DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED TO A FIXED TOWER OR THE LIKEFOR SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS HAVING PARALLELLONGITUDINAL AXES, COMPRISING: A CENTRAL SHAFT MEMBER; MOUNTING MEANS ONSAID SHAFT FOR ENGAGING SAID TOWER TO PREVENT AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAIDSHAFT RELATIVE THERETO; A FIRST SUPPORT MEANS AND A SECOND SUPPORT MEANSEACH DISPOSED ON SAID CENTRAL SHAFT AND ADAPTED TO BE ADJUSTABLY SPACEDAXIALLY APART THEREON; A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT ARMS DISPOSED IN EQUALLYSPACED ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP ABOUT SAID CENTRAL SHAFT, EACH PIVOTALLYCONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEANS; MEANS AT THEOTHER END OF EACH OF SAID ARMS FOR PIVOTALLY COUPLING A CONDUCTORTHERETO; AND A PLURALITY OF LINK MEMBERS EACH PIVOTALLY ATTACHED AT ONEEND THEREOF TO SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS AND AT THE OTHER END THEREOF TOA CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF ARMS, WHEREBY RELATIVEADJUSTMENT OF THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORT MEANSVARIES THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS AT THE ENDS OFSAID ARMS WHILE MAINTAINING THE AXES OF SAID CONDUCTORS PARALLEL.